State Testing

State Testing Links

• Study Says Law Erases Link Between Schools' Wealth, TAAS Results Texas' share-the-wealth school finance law has erased the link between a school district's wealth and how well its students perform on the academic skills test, according to a new Texas A&M study. Dallas Morning News.
  
• Virginia School Tests - NPR The reaction in Virginia to the state's efforts to connect test scores to school accreditation. RealAudio.
  
• About MCAS Massachusetts Education Department site describing the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System.
  
• Kentucky School Testing Simplified State's 14-year shape-up plan called CATS. Cincinnati Enquirer.
  
• Bush's 'Texas miracle' in schools? TAAS tells Gains on TAAS are not paralleled in other measures of student achievement. Capitol Alert.
  
• Mass Insight Organization generally supportive of Massachusetts state testing.
  
• Ohio Proficiency Testing Examined An examination of the results of Ohio's proficiency tests, finding a strong correlation with socioeconomic status.
  
• TAAS Cheating - NPR Several schools officials in Texas caught manipulating school testing data to improve their schools' rankings. Requires RealAudio player.
  
• Massachusetts Teacher Association - Opposition to MCAS graduation requirement Section of MTA web site devoted to their opposition to the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System.
  
• Lawmaker Wants TAAS Testing to Include Special Ed Students A Houston legislator has filed a bill that would require all state school districts to include most special education students in the TAAS. Lubbock Online.
  
• Alaska's High School Qualifying Examination Beginning in 2002, Alaska students must pass an examination to graduate from high school. This site examines graduation testing and raises important questions.
  
• Bush Praises Local Districts' Use of TAAS for Promotion Bush said he appreciates local school districts using the power of local control to address the problem of social promotions. Lubbock Online.
  
• The TAAS Test Issues page from the Parents' Coalition of Texas.
  
• Test Usage Information Links Research, articles, and information about high stakes tests and their misuse from group opposing Virginia's Standards of Learning tests.
  
• Division of Student Assessment Texas Education Agency official site. Information on the TAAS and end-of-course examinations.
  
• What Do Test Scores in Texas Tell Us? Rand Corporation's study of the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) test scores in Texas. Includes link to Rand Corp. press release and Rand CEO's statement.
  
• Parents and Students Supporting the Standards of Learning Pass-SOL is an organization supporting the Virginia tests.
  
• New York Cheating Teachers - NPR Teacher and school evaluations are often tied to such test scores. RealAudio.
  
• Minority Groups Seek to Stop Achievement Testing A key Texas case goes to trial as minority groups seek to stop a school reform trend. U.S.News & World Report.
  
• Student Coalition for Alternatives to the MCAS SCAM is a statewide organization of students concerned about the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assesment System.
  
• The Texas School Miracle Is for Real by Jay P. Greene Article defending the Texas testing program and criticizing the methods of testing opponents.
  
• School Report Gets RAND-y Reception. VitalSTATS November 2000 STATS essay critical of the content and the timing of the RAND report on Texas testing.
  
• The Harmful Impact of the TAAS System of Testing in Texas Summary of a qualitative research study conducted by two education professors in Texas.
  
• State Idea to Expand TAAS Testing Unfair High Wired.net student opinion.
  
• TAAS Provides Needed Accountability Amarillo Globe-News Opinion.
  
• The Harmful Impact of the TAAS System of Testing in Texas: Beneath the Accountability Rhetoric A pdf format report by Dr. Linda McNeil of Rice University, 128 K in size.
  
• Exploring Rapid Achievement Gains in Texas and North Carolina Report written for the National Education Goals Panel investigating two states' higher rate of improvement on national tests throughout the 1990s.